The KC-135 have been reproducing airplanes for decades. Now the US wants them to also launch drones to protect themselves

When we talk about a military plane, we usually think of fighters, as the F-35or bombers, as the B-2. But there are other types of aircraft that are equally essential: Cistern aircraft. The KC-135 It is one of them. Its mission is simple and vital: fly loaded with fuel to refue to others in the air.

According to Aviation WeekThe interesting thing is that the US Air Force does not want him to stay there. He has already developed a system so that KC-135 can launch drones while flying, with the idea that they serve as shields, sensors or even communication links in risk areas.

A ‘tanker’ that will launch drones

It is not a new idea, but an important step. For several years it has been experienced with ways of expanding the capacities of cistern airplanes, and everything indicates that The KC-135 is the first candidate For this change. According to official budget documents for fiscal year 2026the development of this drone launch system It was already tested at some point last year.

For now, there are no images or videos of the test. Nor has a public presentation been made. What we do know, so it indicates the budget, is that the objective is to provide the KC-135 with a defensive capacity on board, especially in hostile environments. That is, to be able to launch drones that help you detect threats, confuse enemy missiles or simply expand the visual field of the mission.

To achieve this, the development team has opted for a fairly ingenious solution: take advantage of a KC-135 rear hatch and adapt it to integrate a well-known tool Common Launch Tube (CLT)which could also be adapted to the most modern cistern plane KC-46 pegasus.

An important point is that these drones would not be thought, at least for the moment, to attack. Its function would be mainly defensive. Everything indicates that they could carry interference systems, act as lures to divert enemy missiles or deploy sensors to monitor the environment and alert the plane of possible threats.

They would be, in essence, a first protection line for the KC-135 in areas where flying has become more and more risky. In the background, what the Air Force proposes with this system is not only a specific improvement, but an operating approach change: that a plane designed to refuel can become a kind of Air warehouse for other resourcesready to act in real time according to what happens in the mission.

While the United States seeks to squeeze the entire potential of its veterans KC-135, France has chosen to turn page. On June 30, one of its Stratotanker flew for the last time, ending more than six decades of service. Instead, the country has opted for the Airbus A330 MRTT, Like the one that has just received Spaina more modern plane, with greater autonomy, more load capacity and suitable for both medical and logistics missions.

Images | Anduril | United States Air Force

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